Processing of materials



Aug. 31, 1943. MEGAND 2,328,240

PROCESSING OF MATERIALS Original Filed Dec. '7, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gdwm L, W'mgand v INVLNT'OR BY v 4, law/4f AT TO RN LYS Aug. 31, 1943. E. L. WIEGAND PROCESSING OF MATERIALS Original Filed Dec. 7, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 VENTOK ATTORNEYS EdmLW iegand IN BY Ztfuuw M Patented Aug. 31, 1943 Edwin L. Wiegand, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor Oreiraction Incorporated, Pittsburgh, Pa, a

corporation of Pennsyl I Original application December 7, 1939, Serial No.

308,002. Divided and this application Novembe!- 2, 1940, Serial No. 364,072 I 4 Claims.

My invention relates to the processing of materials, and more particularly, the separation of co-mingled material particles. The invention is particularly applicable in connection with a system for grinding materials in which the grinding involves the projection or a stream of fluid and material. particles moving at high velocity against an anvil or against a counter-stream of particles but is not limited to that purpose. The

principal objects oi the invention are the improvement of such processing of materials. This application is a division of my application Serial Number 308,002, filed December 7, 1939.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part of this application, there are shown, for purposes of illustration, several embodiments oi apparatus embodying the invention, and in these drawings: Figure 1 is a more or less diagrammatic view of the relation between material conveying means, grinding means, and separating means, as these means may be utilized in one embodiment of my invention,

Figure 2 is an elevational detail view of a separating device which may beused in an embodiment of my invention,

Figure 3 is a plan view of the separating device of Figure 2, showing in dotted lines the separating device moved to another position.

Figure 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the separating device of Figure 2, corresponding generally to the line 44 of Figure 3, I Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view corresponding generally to the line 5--5 of Figure 2, and,

Figure 6 is an enlarged broken sectional view corresponding generally to the line 6-6 of Figure 3.

The term material is used herein to include any substance of a divided nature, as distinguished from relatively large blocks of substances. The term grinding is used herein in its broader aspects as meaning reduction in size, in any way, of the material being treated, and in its more specific aspects, such grinding" as occurs when material is subjected to impact. Examples of material which may be ground by an apparatus embodying my invention are such materials as zircon, rutile, .quartz, feldspar, fluorspar, marble, glass, enameling frit, hard metals, artificial or other abrasives, industrial in connection with the reduction oi, particular- 1y, hard, tough, and abrasive materials, includingores having these characteristics. The 11- lustrated embodiment is particularly adapted to grind material to ultra-fine sizes, such as for example -200 mesh to micron sizes, and in this embodiment the material to be ground preferably should not be larger than 16 to 18 mesh size,

although it is possible to accommodate larger sizes, In general the size to be commenced with in this embodiment may be any desirable size which cannot be better or more economically crushed otherwise, but since in this embodiment the material is projected through a gun the size of they material to be ground is related to gun size, and therefore also to the capacity of the apparatus.

Referring to the schematic arrangement shown in Figure 1, the embodiment of the invention there illustrated comprises a container 50 adapted to contain material to be ground, and

"hereinafter referred to as the new-materials present application is shown as it may be used container. The new-materials container 50 may be formed with an outlet spout 5| discharging into a funnel 52 carried by the receiving end 53 of an elevating device 64, such as the bucket elevator here shown. A suitable slide valve 55 is interposed in the-outlet spout 5i to regulate the flow of material from the new-materials container 50 to the receiving end 53 of the elevator 54. The elevator 54 may be driven by meansof an electric motor 56, and may also have a signal device, such as the electric light 51, to indicate when the elevator 54 is operating. The discharge end 58 of the elevator 54 discharges into a conduit 59 leading to a blending and metering hopper 60, having high and low limit controls 6| and 63, so as to contro1 operation of the motor 56 of the elevator 54, the connections being such that the motor 56 of the elevator 54 is automatically started when the level of the material falls enough to actuate the low level device 62, and the motor 56 is automatically stopped when the material rises enough to actuate the high level device 6|. The details of the blending hopper- 60 and the controls therefor are described in my aforesaid application and, as far as the subject matter of the present application is concerned, these details need not be set forth herein.

Positioned alongside of the receptacle 60 is a second elevator 63, having its inlet end 64 receiving material from-the lower end of the hop- -per 60, as by means of a conduit 65, a suitable slide valve 66 being so interposed as to control the amount of material flowing from the hopper 60. The elevator 68 is driven by an electric motor 61, and may have a signaling device, such as the electric light 68, to indicate when the motor 81 is running. The discharge end 69 of the elevator 69 leads to the inlet of a solids valve the outlet of which communicates with the interior of a charge metering and hoist tank 1|.

The hoist tank 1| has high and low level devices 12 and 13 respectively, so related to other parts pressure supplied to the hoist tank 1| through the air conduit 14, the material in the hoist tank 1| is forced to move into the lower end of a tube 2|9 suitably connected at its upper end to and in communication with the conduit 16, the material continuing through the tube 2|9, through the conduit 16 to a connection conduit 11 between an air strainer tank 18 and an upper material feed tank 19, a valve 80 being interposed in the connection conduit 11 to permit admission of material to the upper tank 19 and to enable the tank to be placed under fluid pressure. Assuming the valve 80 to be in open position, the material which passes through the conduit 16 is delivered to the connection conduit 11, the air used for hoisting purposes being strained by and vented from the strainer tank 18, and the material dropping into the upper feed tank 19. The

conduit 16 is preferably of rubber or rubber lined,

and if desired the conduit 16, or the rubber lining thereof, may be continuous with a rubber lining in the tube 2I9.

The upper feed tank 19 is connected to a lower feed tank 8| by means of a connection conduit 82, a valve 83 being interposed in the connec tion conduit 82 to permit transfer of material from the upper tank 19 to the lower tank 8|, and to enable the lower tank to be maintained. under pressure. The lower tank 8| has an outlet conduit 84, a valve 85 being interposed in the outlet conduit 84 for permitting or interrupting the outflow of material from the lower tank 8|. Means (not shown herein) is provided for admitting air under pressure to the upper and lower tanks 19 and 8|.

Assuming that the valve 83 is closed and the valve 85 is open, and assuming also that material is in the lower tank 8I,-and that this tank is under air pressure, the material from the tank 8| will be forced through the outlet conduit 84, and through a hose conduit 86 to the breach 81 of a gun 88, and through this gun 88 to the grinder case 89, the material being projected from the muzzle of the gun in the grinder case and subjected to impact in any desired way. The ground material passes through a conduit 90 to a first separating device 9| of the cyclone type.

The heavier material in the first separating device 9] may gravitate through a tube 51I against a check valve 82, this valve being so constructed and arranged that a predetermined head of material is built up and maintained at the discharge end of the separating device 9|, material being permitted to gravitate past the check valve, into the conduit 93, as further material accumulates in the discharge end of the separating device, as will more fully appear. The material then continues through the conduit 98 to a funnel 94, and from the funnel 94 to a screen chamber 95 of a screening device 96.

The screening device 96 may be of the vibrating type, having a screen 91 over which the material is shucked, the screen having a certain predetermined mesh size, as for example 200 mesh.

The material which passes through the screen 91 falls into a hopper 98, the outlet of the hopper 98 having a bagging device 99', to which a bag I00 is attached, the bag I00 receiving such material for shipment if desired. For convenience, the bag I00 may be disposed on a platform IOI of a scale |02, so that the amount of material delivered to the bag I00 may be weighed as it is delivered to the bag. That material which does not pass through the screen 91 is discharged from the screen chamber 95 through acondui-t I03, and back to the mixinghopper 60. Additional materials, from the new-materials container 50, may be added to the hopper 60 by means of the elevator 54, the high level device 6| limiting the amount of new material delivered to' the hopper-60. In this manner the material removed from the system is automatically replaced with new material from the new-materials posed within a fan chamber I05 and driven by an electric motor I06. The outlet of the fan chamber I05 is branched, one branch I01 leading to the atmosphere, and the other branch I 08 being connected to one end of a conduit I09, the opposite end IIO of the conduit I09 leading tangentially into the first separating device 9|, if desired in two diametrically disposed tangential branches H011 and H012 (see also Figure 3).

Slide valves III and H2 are respectively interposed in the branch conduits I01 and I08, these valves being independently adjustable so as to regulate the amount of air dischargedby the blowers through the,respective branch, for a purpose to appear.

The upper discharge outlet of the separating device 9| is connected to the inlet of the blower chamber I05, and in this instance certain devices are interposed in this connection. Extendmg from the upper discharge outlet of the first separating device 9| is a separating column, II 3, of any suitable cross-sectional form, area, and length, which extends vertically and is connected to a conduit II4 which is tangentially connected to the upper end of a second air separating device II6. Desirably the separating column H3 is enlarged with respect to the conduit H4, and may taper toward. its lower end to cause hindered settling. The device IIIi may be of the cyclone type, comprising a chamber having an upper cylindrical portion H1 and a downwardly tapering conical portion I I8. A bagging device H9 is connected to the lower end of the conical portion 8, and has attached thereto a bag I20 for receiving material gravitating downwardly of the conical portion H8. The upper end of the second separating device H6 is formed with a housing I2I communicating with the interior of the device H5. The housing I2I communicates by means a conduit I22 with a dust collector or separator I25, which may be of anysuitable type. The lower end of the dust separator I25 has attached thereto abagging'device I24, and the air outlet of the dust separator I2! is connected by a conduit I25 to the inlet of the fan chamber I05.

Assuming that the motor I08 is operating, and that the valve III is at least partially open, and that ground material, along with air used in grinding it, is being delivered through the conduit 20 to the first separating device SI, the material which under the air conditions prevailing in the separating system is not heavy enough to gravitate at once from the separating device will be picked up by the stream or air in the column Ill. Some of this material will continue to be carried by that stream to the top-oi the column Ill and through the conduit 4 to the upper end of the second separating device H8, and will be caused to swirl in this upper end because 01' the tangential connection of the conduit II4. separating device IIG will gravitate downwardly through the conical portion H8, and will be '5! does not continue with the upwardly moving stream of air into the conduit II4, but gravitates back through the stream into the separating device SI and finally reaches the lower or discharge end of the separating device 9|, and thus the separating action of the system is improved.

Depending upon the setting of the slide valves III and H2, either an under-pressure or an over-pressure condition (with respect to atmospheric pressure) can be made to exist in the first separating device ,9I. Usually the valve H2 is partially or completely closed, and the valve III partially or completely open, so that an underpressure or partial vacuum ex'sts within the first separating device SI and in the column III, whereby material readily passes from the grinder case 89 to the first separating device 9 I, and no back pressure is created in the conduit 90 leading from the grinder case 89. Also, usually the valves III and H2 are adjusted to eifect substantially zero (atmospheric) pressure in the grinder case 89, thereby to avoid back pressure in the grinder case 89 that might interfere with the operation of the grinder gun. However, it will be apparent that the pressure conditions in the grinder case and in the separating system can be regulated by adjustment of the slide valves III and II 2 to obtain any desired pressure conditions. Furthermore, the velocity of the upwardly moving stream of air in the separating column H3 may be adjusted to a most suitable velocity so that the separating function of the column H3 will be optimum.

The first separating device 9| may be moved from the position shown in full lines in Figure 1 to the position shown in dotted lines, wherein its lower end no longer communicates with the The heavier materials in the secondrating device 9|.

conduit ll, but instead communicates with a conduit I55 leading to a tank I", hereinaiter referred toas a by-pass tank. The lower end of the tank I35 carries a bagging device I31, to which a bag I38 may be attached, and a check valve I 39 is interposed in the conduit I35.

aggregate, with only a minimum of extreme fines removed.

Th valve is closed when initially charging the apparatus, and may also be closed for interrupting the process temporarily without relieved pressure on the lowerfeed tank 8|, or at the end 01' a run prior to a subsequent initial charging or beginning of operations. In other words, it is closed before initially charging, or at the end or a day's run, or for temporary interruption, and it is opened when beginning operations. as at the beginning. 01 a day, or after an interruption as for inspection or adjustment of other equipmen 1 While the material in the lower feed tank 8| is being ground, the hoist tank 'II will have again been filled, with either new material or with a mixture of new and partly ground material from average from the screen 95, and this charge will have been hoisted, and all is in readiness to "dump the same into the tank 8I when a low level responsive device (not shown) in the lower tank 8i indicates sufilcient evacuation to receive the next charge from the upper feed tank 19. From the foregoing description of the appara- The material ground in the grinder case 89 gravitates down its inclined sides to its reduced outlet and thence through the conduit connection 90 to the first separating device 9|, this connection including a flexible hose 553 one end 01'' which is suitably attached to the outlet oi! the grinder case and the opposite end of which is attached to an inlet pipe 554 01' the first sepa- As shown in Figure'2, thefirst separating device SI has another inlet pipe 555 directly below the inlet pipe 554, but the inlet .pipe 555 in this instance is closed by a cap 558.

If desired, the inlet pipe 555 may lead to another grinder case, the tank ill in such instance serving both grinder casings, or the pipe 555 may be used as an inspection opening.

Referring particularly to Figure 4, the tank 9| comprises a cylindrical portion 551, a conical upward extending portion 558 tapering to a reduced outlet 559. and a conical downward extending portion 560 tapering to a reduced outlet 58I. The separating column H3 extending upwardly from the tank 9| has a quick-detachable connection 564 with the outlet 559, and also a quickdetachable connection 565 for engagement with the conduit H4. The cylindrical portion 551 has conduits 565a and 56Gb extending tangentially therefrom in opposite directions,.as best seen in Figure 3, these conduits being connected respectively to the branches Ba and llflb of the conduit I09 leading to the blowercasing I 05.

Disposed within the wall portion 551 is a generally annular chamber I58 comprising a cylindrical outer wall "I spaced from the cylindrical portion 551 to leave an annular space I52 into which the conduits 566a and 5661: are adapted to discharge. The chamber I58 further comprises an inner cylindrical wall I53 which is coaxial with the outlet 558 and extends upwardly to the wall portion 558 where it is sealed off at I54. The

lower end of the annular chamber I58 is covered that these pipes are adapted to discharge ground material tangentially into the chamber I58, the direction of rotation in the chamber I58 being the same as 'the direction of rotation caused in the annular space I52 byv the conduits 566a and 56Gb.

Desirably, an adjustable false work I58 is provided for creating favorable air flow conditions, as will appear. This false work I58 comprises an annular conical portion I59 the outer margin of which so fits within the cylindrical wall 551 as to be movable up and down, and to the inner margin of which is joined a conical discharge portion I60. The false work I58 may be adjusted by any suitable means, such as three or four screws I6I extending suitably through the wall 568 and bearing at their upper ends against the under side of the portions I59. The construction, arrangement, and adjustment, preferably are such that the cross-sectional area of the passage I64 formed underneath the screen I55 by the conical portion I59 is about the same at the place I62 as it is at the place 163, and that said crosss ctional area is about the same as the crosssectional area of conduit formed by the inside of the cylindrical Wall I53; By this construction the passage underneath the screen I55 may be adjusted for suitable relationship in sectional area with respect to the sectional area of the separating column '||3, the sectional area of said passage being slightly smaller than the sectional area of the column 3 but adjustable depending on the type and size of material being separated.

The screen I55 is of a mesh large enough to passsubstantially all of the material discharged into the annular chamber from the pipe 554 (or 555), but an annular series of openings 155:; may 4 be provided near the inner edge of the screen for passing particles of greater size than will be passed by the screen.- The particles, as they drop through the screen I55, have little or no whirling motion, but are then acted upon by the air which has come from the conduits 566a and 56Gb. This air, as it comes out of conduits 566a and 566b, first tends to whirl about in the annular space I52, then passes as indicated by the arrows, in the passage I64 underneath and across the lower face of the screen I55, into the conduit formed by the inside of the wall I53, and up into the separating column I I3, carrying with it most of the lighter particles, as determined by the air velocity adjustment.

.The surfaces in the device 9| which might be subject to abrasive wear may be suitably lined with rubber. The tank 9| is supported by means of legs 561, the legs being readily disconnectable plunger 588 is reciprocable.

from a support 568, as for instance by having slots 569 in angular foot portions, the slots 569 receiving the shanks of bolts 518. The support 568 is formed with an aperture, and extending through the aperture is a rubber hose 5', reinforced by a, tube 513 having a flange 512 secured .to the support 568. The lower outlet 56| fits within the upper end of the tube 51 I, the inclined sides of the lower portion 568 somewhat distending the upper end of the tube 5", as shown at 514, to provide a sealing joint.

Referring particularly to Figure 5, the lower end of the rubbertube 5' is provided with a check valve 92. The lower end of the tube 5'" is secured within a cylindrical flange 5I5formed integral with a disk 516 attached to the lower surface of the support 568. The flange 515 extends some distance beyond the lower end of the rubber tube 5II and has a bayonet joint connection with a cap 511 having a pair of spout outlets 5'I8 each receiving a conduit 93, so that material flowing to the hopper 94 of the screen apparatus 96 is,,spread out over the screen 91.

However, the cap 511 rigidly holds an elongated bearing 519 through which an elongated The upper end of the plunger 589 carries a cone-shaped valve 58l, the sloping surface of the cone 58| being engageable with the margins defining the lower end of the rubber tube 5' to prevent flow of material through the tube 5I|. The lower end of the plunger 588 carries a wheel 582 which has contact with one end 583 of a lever 584, the lever being pivoted intermediate its ends as at 585, and the opposite end 586 of the lever 584 carrying a weight 581 which is adjustable along a rod carried by the lever end 586. From the construction just described it will be obvious that the valve 58| will block passage through the tube 5' until suilicient material is trapped within'the tube 51| to overbalance the weight 581, at which time a certain amount of material will drop from the tube 5'", through the spouts 578 and the conduits 93 to the screen chamber 95. Thus it will b obvious that a certain head of material is built up and maintained within the tube 5', material being permitted to gravitate past the check valve as further material accumulates in the discharge end of the separating device 9|, thereby preventing air communication between the conduits 93 and the interior of the first separating device 9|. Thus the pressure condition within the device 9| either greater or less than atmospheric pressure, as may be desired, will not be changed, since the check valve 92, either open or closed, substantially prevents flow of air through the tube 5'.

which is reinforced by an encircling flange 589 integrally connected with a disk 598 overlying and connected to the upper surface of the support 568. The upper end of the tube 588, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, is closed by a plug 59L The lower end of the tube 588 carries the check valve I39, here shown as comprising a casing 592, preferably rectangular in cross-section, carrying on opposite walls a pair of downwardly inclined rubber flaps 593 being formed of relatively stiff rubber and meeting at a central point 594, so that a certain head of material will be built up within the chamber 592 before the flaps will yield to permit passage of material through the conduit I35 to the by-pass tank I36 (see Figure 1).

The tank 9| may be moved from the full line 7 2,328,240 position shown in Figure 3 to the dotted line potank 9! to the position shown in dotted lines, the

plug 59! being removed from the tube 588, and the lower outlet 56I being inserted within the upper end of the upper tube 588, the plug 59l then being used to close the rubber tube From the foregoing-it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that each of the illustrated embodiments of my invention provides a new and improved apparatus for carrying out the processing of materials, and each accomplishes a principal object of my invention. On the other hand, it also will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the illustrated embodiments of my invention may be variously changed and modifled, and features thereof, singly or collectively, embodied in combinations other than those illustrated, without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing the advantages thereof, and accordingly, that the disclosure herein is illustrative only, and that my invention is not limited thereto.

I claim:

l. Separating means of the fluid flow type,

comprising: means providing a substantially vertical passage of approximately uniiorm cross-sec tion; means providing a substantially vertical separating column connected at its lower end to the upper end oi said passage, the lower portion of said separating column increasing in cross-section upwardly to a cross-section substantially larger than the cross-section of said passage; means for causing a stream of fluid to progress in a generally radially inward direction to the lower end of said passage and enter the lower end of said passage and move upwardly in said passage and said separating column; and means causing particles to be separated to fall into said radially inwardly progressing portion of said stream 0! fluid before said stream enters the lower end of said passage.

2. Separating means of the fluid flow type, comprising: means providing a substantially vertical passage of approximately uniiorm cross-section; means providing a substantially vertical separating column connected at its lower end to the upper end or said passage, the lower portion of said separating column increasing in cross-section upwardly to a cross-section substantially larger than the cross-section of said passage; means for causing a stream of fluid to progress in a generally radially inward direction to the lower end of said passage and enter the lower end or said passage and move upwardly with desired velocities in said passage and said separating column; means causing particles to be separated to tail into said radially inwardly progressing portion or said stream of fluid beiore said stream enters the lower end of said passage;

wardly to an outlet portion; automatic valve means biased to closed position and controlling said outlet portion; and said outlet portion and said automatic valve means being so constructed and arranged that a certain accumulation of said heavier-material is required to move said valve means away from closed position to permit dischrge of material while at the same time said automatic valve means so controls the discharge or material that fluid communication and the'inside of said separating means is substantially prevented.

means providing a downward passage in substantial alinementv with said substantially vertical passage, the upper end otsaid downward passage being spaced from the lower end or said substsntially vertical passage and extending down- 3. Separating means, for separating comingled particles, comprising: outer casing means having an outlet for the heavier particles and an outlet for lighter particles; annular inner casing means within said outer casing means,

said inner casing means having a discharge out-' let; means for introducing particles to be sepa-.

in part flows across said discharge outlet of said inner casing means and into the space defined by the inner periphery of said annular inner casing means to said outlet for lighter particles.

4. In combination: separating means, of the fluid flow type, constructed and arranged to separate co-mingled material; said separating means having an inlet for material to be separated, and having a separate inlet for operating fluid, and having-an outlet for a lighter fraction of material and having an outlet for a heavier fraction of material; automatic valve means responsive to the weight on an accumulation of said heavier material for controlling the discharge of said ma terial from said outlet for said heavier fraction; grinding means comprising a source of fluid under pressure and means for entraining in a stream or fluid supplied by said source the material to be ground and subjecting the stream to impact, said grinding means including a housing in which said stream is discharged and subjected to impact; conduit means for conveying the ground material from said housing to said inlet of said separating means for material to'be separated; a fluid pump having an inlet and discharge; first connection means, from said discharge to said inlet for operating fluid: means for controlling the flow oi fluid in said first connection means; second connection means, from said discharge to atmosphere: means for controlling the flow oi. fluid onto! said second connection means; and third connection means connecting said outlet for said lighter fraction to said inlet of said fluid pump, said third connection means providing a substantially vertical separating column connected at its lower end to said outlet. for said lighter fraction, the lower portion of said separating column increasing upwardly in cross-section to a cross-section substantially larger than the crosnnwmn wmcumn. 

